Amanda Yoakum's acrylic-painted sneakers, "Goddess Tara," also are on exhibit at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey.

"The Shoe Must Go On" at the Morris Museum begins with a definition.

As visitors enter the 4,200-square-foot main gallery, a wall of commanding black lettering declares that a shoe, in the strictest sense, is "a covering of the human foot, having a thick sole and heel and a lighter upper, usually of leather but often of cloth."

The show, featuring footwear from several continents and many centuries, seeks to shatter this narrow belief.

Using the existing costume collection as a stepping-off point, museum executive Linda Moore and costume curator Elizabeth Laba aimed to show that shoes, beyond pure function, can capture a moment in time and help define an individual or a culture -- and that footwear can even be art.

The breadth and scope of the show bridge the gap between history, fashion and art -- while a New Jersey connection helps to thread together otherwise unrelated designer stilettos and worn-in loafers.

More than 300 distinct shoes are on display at the museum in Morristown, including items to interest the less fashion-inclined -- a pair of Thomas Edison's black leather lace-ups in the "smart shoes" section, and a sports area that showcases footwear of Muhammad Ali and Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter, who was born in Pequannock. A loan of inauguration ceremony black-leather dress oxfords from Gov. Chris Christie, an Army boot worn by Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and a walking-boot cast from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor -- worn during her confirmation hearings -- add a timely relevance to the collection.

More traditional art forms are also present, including "Black Patent Leather Venus with Scarification," a female figure made of shoes by Mine Hill-based artist Willie Cole, who often uses ordinary domestic objects in his work.

Material with a twist

As with shoes, other items used in fashion, such as lace and glitter, can be made into works of art. Two exhibits at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, in Summit, play off this idea.

In the main gallery, "Material Girls" features the work of six female Garden State-based artists.

"The show is about the artist's relationship to the materials," says curator Margaret Murphy. "It isn't all about touchy-feely, tactile art, but more that each artist considers the materials that they are using to be a huge part of their work. Many are using traditional, established art materials but they are being used in very nontraditional ways."

Pieces include "Lace Umbrella" by J Carpenter, an artist who works to express themes of security and domesticity. "Come and Go," an installation of shoes by Heejung Kim, served as a meditative way for the artist to explore the intersection of East and West, and the blending of cultures.

Painter Jamie M. Lee layers pieces of glitter and lace in her acrylic-painted works to add an expressive quality to her art.
Form and Function

In the adjacent Mitzi and Warren Eisenberg Gallery is Amanda Yoakum's solo show titled "Art to Wear," where traditional fashion-related items are utilized in an innovative way -- in a series of acrylic-painted sneakers. Everyday sneakers are transformed into art, as with additions like metal wire and chopsticks in "Takeout."

The Parsons-educated artist and fashion designer, a new teacher at the center, also works one-on-one with clients to create hand-painted originals at her YoaKustoms store in Basking Ridge.

"I relish the idea that my work can be appreciated in a display setting, however can also . . . (allow pedestrians to) sneak a quick peek at the shoes walking quickly past them," says the artist of her work. It is about "spreading an expression of myself around every corner. My art goes with you, free to move and see the world on your soles."

Want more fashion-as-high-art? Just across the Hudson, you can find "American Women: Fashioning a National Identity" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org) through Aug. 15. "American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection" is running at the Brooklyn Museum (brooklynmuseum.org) through Aug. 1.

How much: $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and children, members and children under 3 are free. Free admission on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. Visitors who bring a slightly worn pair of shoes to donate receive $1 off admission, with the shoes going to CUMAC, a Paterson food and clothing bank. Visit morrismuseum.org or call (973) 971-3700.